COMPAQ GRAND SLAM CUP

December 9, 1992

Andre Agassi

ANDRE AGASSI: Yeah, I was real prepared. I flew all night and I got in, and I slept all day and got up and played. That is kind of what it felt like at least. It is not easy in that situation; not to mention coming from the real slow hard courts, so you know, it was a shot in the dark, but I couldn't expect a whole lot, for my game. I think it is a little easier for a player like McEnroe or Sampras to adjust to it. But me, it takes a bit more discipline to get used to a faster surface.

ANDRE AGASSI: We took a private flight from Dallas to New York and got into the hotel at about 3:30 in the morning, which means we had to get up about 7:30 or 8:00 to catch the Concorde and I felt like my body felt a little fatigued. I felt like resting there and taking an overnight flight. It would give me a little better chance than actually going two days with very little sleep.

ANDRE AGASSI: Well, I don't want to give the impression that we support him and we are, you know, leading this kind of rebellion if he doesn't get named. I think that we all support the idea of him being captain and we all think he can do a heck of a job. However, if Gorman remains captain, we all have confidence in his ability to run the team, too. So, we are just going to wait and see. I personally feel like it could help the Davis Cup a lot to have a guy like John being captain. That doesn't necessarily mean that if he is not captain, I am not going to play.

ANDRE AGASSI: The problem is going to Key Biscayne, Australia, Barcelona. That is the problem. I think-- I can't speak for the team, but my concerns have nothing to do with the captain as much as it does with really considering what I want for my career, at this point. I won 2 Davis Cups for the United States, got them into the finals three times and I feel like I have been a big part of it. I feel like I have done more than my share, and it is something that I will always support and always end up coming back to. But, right now, I am not convinced that with that kind of schedule that, you know, we have to commit to is something in my best interest at this point and I have to weigh those things.

ANDRE AGASSI: I will take that every year.

ANDRE AGASSI: I don't think I have had very many great weeks out of this year, but I have had some great weeks at the right time. There is no question about it. And it's a year that I will always remember and I am very proud of. In the future, I look forward to kind of a more complete, great year, where I could have played great tennis at every part of the year, which will hopefully result in my ranking; maybe being the best one day. That is what I am shooting for. But that would be even a great year, too, but it doesn't take away from what this year has meant to me.

ANDRE AGASSI: The one thing that I need in my game right now is when I step on the court to be ready, prepared and willing to do whatever it takes to win the tennis match. There are a lot of times when I am not -- I am not in that position. The Grand Slam and Davis Cups, I am always feeling like that; I will do whatever it takes to win. I will dig however deep I need to dig to win the match. As tough as it is to admit, I can't honestly say that I feel that way the majority of the time. So I feel like John is somebody who can make me prepared, ready, and willing to do whatever it takes to win the tennis match. Regardless if I am playing Wimbledon, or a tournament at the beginning of the year, just every time I get on the tennis court, to do whatever I have to, and I think he can help me with that. And, yes, we do have plans to work together.

ANDRE AGASSI: I think inevitably it comes down to me, there is no question about it. But I think we have -- I think I am similar to some players and different from others. I am different from a Courier or a Chang, but similar to a Sampras, or even an Edberg before he got over that hump in his career. I think it is something that I am going to achieve, and I have no doubts about that, but I am going to utilize everything I can to get there as soon as possible. But, yeah, unless it -- unless I am willing to do it, nobody can do it for me. I am not asking anybody to do it for me. I know what it is going to take for me. I am telling you right here and now that I am going to do that. But I just -- I hope, with access to somebody like John, there is no reason in the world why he couldn't speed up the process.

ANDRE AGASSI: You know, I will never leave Nick. Nick has meant too much to me in the past, and I utilize him too much for my strokes as of now. So Nick and I have discussed this and he is as excited about it as me. But as far as the logistics go, I am just kind of waiting in the wings. I think John has a lot of things going on in his mind, right now, and I think he has already expressed to me his interest and his desire and his, you know, that he plans on doing it. The question is, you know, when we are actually going to find the time to actually -- or when he is going to find the time to focus his energies on it and his energies are elsewhere, right now. It is justifiably so.

ANDRE AGASSI: Well, I am not totally sure I agree with a tournament this big in prize money. If they are going to have a tournament with this much prize money, at least they should have it on clay or something. That would be my hope. That was a joke. But I really have strong feelings in that area because-- you can say I am biased, but yeah, I think where today's game is with a surface like this, it takes away the enjoyment from all the players as well as the public. And I fear for the future of tennis if it keeps going in this direction.

ANDRE AGASSI: It all depends on what premise you are starting with. You are starting with the premise that we want to keep it what it is. I am starting on the premise that we want to make it more exciting. I think that I speak from two perspectives; one being a player and two, maybe from seeing what people enjoy and what they like coming out to watch. I think he will make a great captain. I think his qualities is that first thing he is going to do is make sure we are not playing dead rubbers, the dead matches. I think that is great. That is great from my perspective because I don't have to worry about getting injured like I did at the end of 90. I think he is going to make a bigger incentive for the players so that in their minds they could feel better about taking three weeks every Davis Cup time out of their schedule which is what you do. So I think he is going to make a difference for the players in those regards, and I also think that every now and then when he does lose his temper, that it will keep people in the seats. I got to be honest, I am not concerned with the people who wear a coat and tie saying that he is not acting how we want him. That is of no interest to me. I have been around awhile and as much as you want to say that John has been, you know, done this wrong or done that wrong, and this wrong, I have never once stepped on the court against him and not had the entire place full. And that is -- that is what it's all about, create particular interest and excitement. And I think John has that over Tom at this point, I really do. Again, if Tom is captain, he has learned to work with the players great and I think that he can continue to do a great job, but I think that tennis -- Davis Cup would get a big boost out of having John as captain. Even if it was like, you know, watching baseball or something, where the coach gets thrown out for the rest of the time, that is even kind of an exciting thought. He might get kicked out for the rest of the match or something, but you know he will be watching in the lockerroom, going crazy still. If you ask me to speak from Bumpy Frazier's position or from Robert Cookson's position, I would have hesitation towards hiring John. That is why I personally feel like, you know, it is not going to happen. I mean that is my view at this point. Because, you know, they are concerned with the person who is going to show up to all the right meetings and say all the right things and we are the right choice, and look the right way, and you know, there is a better chance of getting that with Gorman or somebody else than John. But you have to ask yourself what is the most important thing; basically living up to what those people expect from you, or creating more excitement for the game.

ANDRE AGASSI: I don't have plans to play exhibition matches, but I have found myself doing extremely well, training hard during Davis Cups with players. I found myself winning Wimbledon not picking up a record two weeks before, so I think my top concern is to go in there mentally, willing to pay the price to win those matches. I am going to be training really hard during December on my legs, on my cardiovascular. I am arranging the best I can at this point all the practice I feel I am going to need to be ready, but I think the biggest obstacle in the past which is going to continue to be the biggest obstacle to be mentally to be where I need to be going into an event. I have had an easier time doing that for the Grand Slam tournaments, so I don't anticipate that being much of a problem.

ANDRE AGASSI: Yeah. It is definitely going to go out the window. It has to. I mean, I have played these past five years of my career like a cat with nine lives really, just kind of hoping that, you know, that I haven't run out of luck. And that is not going to cut it. I mean I can win tournaments and I have been blessed enough with an ability that every now and then it can happen, but I don't anticipate that being much of my future. I really don't at this point, and I am through accepting that and I am looking forward to doing what I need to do. I think working with John is a first step towards that.